Modular switch construction



I Nov. 16, 1965 E QI EN1CK ETAL 3,218,425

TRUCTION Filed July 5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 16, 1965 E. OLENICK ETAL 3,218,425

MODULAR SWITCH CONSTRUCTION Filed July 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIEJEJ [F 2 l 57 32 is i 4 4 -56 United States Patent 3,218,425 MODULAR SWITCH CONSTRUCTION Earl Olenick, Deerfield, and Wallace A. Norin, Crystal Lake, lll., assignors to Oak Electro/netics Corp, a corporation of Delaware Filed July 5, 1963, Ser. No. 292,916 7 Claims. (Cl. 2il0166) This invention relates in general to electric switches, and more particularly to switches wherein certain parts are interchangeable, and may be used in switches having different sizes and switching configurations.

This invention is particularly concerned with multiple section rotary selector switches which have in the past conventionally included a stator having a plurality of spaced apart stator sections, a rotar rotatably mounted in the stator and having a plurality of spaced apart rotor sections corresponding to the stator sections, and index means cooperable between the rotor and stator to locate the rotor at spaced switching positions. In order to accommodate the needs of the industry, it has been necessary for switch manufacturers to make a wide variety of switches having different sizes and shapes. This has necessitated the stocking of a large inventory of a wide variety of switch components.

The general purpose of the present invention is to provide a multiple section rotary electric switch, wherein the switch components may be assembled in various relations to one another to provide the desired switch configuration from a minimum supply of parts.

An object of the present invention is to provide a switch rotor with means which will enable it to be broken off to the desired length to accommodate the number of rotor sections to be used, and thus obviate the necessity of stocking a variety of shafts of different lengths.

The rotors of conventional switches as discussed above have usually included a front shaft section with a noncircular portion, as fiat or the like, that extends outwardly from the stator and which receives a control knob for operation of the rotor. The rotor rear shaft section is conventionally formed with a double-D cross-section having opposed flattened surfaces upon which the individual rotor sections are seated. The problem of properly aligning the knob with respect to the rest of the shaft has heretofore contributed to the necessity of stocking a large variety of switch components. Accordingly, another object of the invention is the provision of improved means for the positioning of the rotor knob relative to the rotor sections.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a switch embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view on an enlarged scale, partly in section, of part of the rotor of the present invention;

IGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially as shown along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIGURE 3, but on an enlarged scale, showing another embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a side view of one part of the rotor of the present invention;

FIGURE 6 is an end view of a rotor part of a further embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken substantially as shown along line 77 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view similar to FIG- URE 2 showing the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 6 and FIGURE 7; and

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FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken substantially as shown along line 99 of FIGURE 8.

While this invention is susceptible to embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention and modifications thereof, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, the switch of the present invention is indicated, in its entirety, by reference numeral 10. Switch 10 includes a front plate 11 and a plurality of spaced apart stator sections 12-16. Stator sections 12-16 are retained in space apart relation by tubular sleeves 17-21 through which pass elongate bolts or tie rods 22 and 23. The stator sections and the associated spacing members are secured into an integral assembly by the cooperative action of nuts 24 with bolts 22 and 23. A rotor 25 is rotatably mounted in front plate 11 and includes a plurality of rotor sections, not shown, each corresponding to a stator section 12-16. As is well known in the art, each stator and rotor section is provided with a plurality of contacts, which are moved into engagement with one another as rotor 25 is rotated to effect the switching action. An indexing device is suitably associated with rotor 25 adjacent front plate 11, and in the illustrated embodiment, balls 26 are biased by a spring member 27 into circumferentially spaced detent means on the rear face of front plate 11 as rotor 25 is rotated in front plate 11.

As can be best seen in FIGURE 1 and FIGURE 5, rotor 25 includes a first shaft 30 which extends longitudinally through the stator, and which includes a plurality of shaft portions 31-36 separated by circumferentially extending grooves 37-41. Grooves 37-41 create weakened portions in shaft 39 which enable any number of shaft portions to be broken off in the event that the entire shaft length will not be needed for the number of rotor sections to be used. Shaft 30 further includes an enlarged cylindrical portion 42 upon which the aforedescribed index mechanism is affixed, and a groove 43 which is adapted to cooperate with an aperture suitably provided in the front plate 11 to rotatably support shaft 39.

Shaft 30 also includes an axially extending bore 44 which provides a female part for reception of a male part 46 provided on a second shaft 45. Shaft 45 includes a flattened portion 47 which defines a shoulder 48. A control knob, not shown, is adapted to be mounted on shaft 45, and is secured thereon in any suitable manner, as by a set screw engaging flattened portion 47, or any other equivalent means.

Cooperating means for adjusting flattened portion 47 relative to the stator sections 12-16 are provided on male part 46 and in female part 44. As can be best seen in FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 3, the cooperating means on male part 46 consist of a plurality of circumferentially arranged axially extending external teeth 49, and the cooperating means in female part 44 are a plurality of circumferentially arranged axially extending internal teet 50. While the exact number of cooperating male and female elements is not essential to the present invention, it should be noted that in the embodiment shown in FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 3, twelve external teeth are formed upon male part 46 and twelve internal teeth are formed in female part 44, and thus flattened portion 47 may be adjusted relative to stator sections 12-16 in increments. When the proper relative position of flattened portion 47 has been selected, male part 46 is inserted in bore 44 in the presence of a liquid sealant which hardens as at 51 to secure shaft 45 in position in shaft 30.

If a more precise increment of adjustment for flattened surface 47 relative to stator sections 12-16 is desired, an arrangement such as that shown in FIGURE 4 may be used wherein the incremental adjustment is 15. It will be noted that the shaft 46 shown in FIGURE 4 is identical to that shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 having a 12 point external spline. However, the female part in the shaft end 42 is provided with 24 internal teeth so that the angular displacement of one external tooth 49 to its adjacent internal tooth 50 is 15". In connection with the embodiments shown in FIGURES 2-4, it should be noted that it is not necessary that the female part be provided on the rear shaft and the male part on the front shaft, and that the male and female parts may be reversed and still function satisfactorily.

Referring now to FIGURES 69, a further embodiment is illustrated wherein a front shaft is provided with a longitudinally extending bore 61 having an internal hex 62 formed at one end thereof. Shaft 60 includes a flattened portion 63 for reception of a control knob, not shown. A rear shaft 64 is provided with a hexagonal male end 65, which is adapted to be selectively positioned in one of six positions in hexagonal bore 62. As in the embodiments shown in FIGURES 2-4, a suitable liquid sealant is provided as at 66 to secure the shaft parts together at the desired location.

We claim:

1. In a rotary switch: a plurality of aligned, parallel stator sections; a rotor section for each stator section; a front plate; means mounting said stator sections in spaced relation extending rearwardly from and parallel with said front plate; a rotor shaft having one end rotatably mounted on said front plate, said shaft extending rearwardly therefrom in engagement at spaced points along its length with each of said rotors, rotation of said shaft turning each of said rotors, said shaft having a plurality of weakened break-away portions, one for each of said rotor sections; and a detent mechanism connecting said shaft and front plate.

2. The switch construction of claim 1 wherein said shaft extends through each of said rotor sections and said weakened portions are adjacent and immediately to the rear of each of said rotor sections.

3. The switch construction of claim 1 wherein the forward end of said shaft is exposed in front of said front plate and has a mating configuration, and including a front shaft extension having a rear end with a mating configuration complementary with the configuration of said shaft, the forward end of said shaft and rear end of said shaft extension being engaged.

4. The switch construction of claim 3 wherein said mating end portions comprise splined male and female elements.

5. The switch of claim 4 wherein an adhesive secures said male end element in said female end element.

6. The switch of claim 1 wherein the forward end of said shaft is cylindrical in configuration and provides a mounting surface.

7. In a rotary switch: a front plate; a plurality of aligned, parallel stator sections mounted on and extending rearwardly from said front plate, said stator sections being generally parallel with the front plate; a rotor section for each stator section; a rotor shaft having a cylindrical end portion rotatably mounted on said front plate, said shaft extending rearwardly from said front plate through each of said rotor sections, rotation of said shaft turning each of said rotors with respect to the asso ciated stator, said shaft having a plurality of circumferential grooves therein one to the rear of each of said stator sections, said grooves providing a weakened breakaway portion of said shaft, the forward end of said shaft being exposed in front of said front plate and having a splined mating configuration; and a front shaft extension having a rear portion with a splined mating configuration and a forward end portion of non-circular cross-section to receive a control knob, the splined mating end portions being engageable in one of a plurality of relative angular positions; and an adhesive securing said shaft and shaft extension together.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,297,390 9/1942 Burger 2871 19 2,319,503 5/1943 Glogau 2006 2,626,334 1/1953 Koenig 2006 2,912,527 11/1959 Naimer 2006 3,027,530 3/1962 Shea 338- 3,145,406 8/1964 Lay 287-119 X BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner. ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Examiner. 

1. IN A ROTARY SWITCH: A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED, PARALLEL STATOR SECTIONS; A ROTOR SECTION FOR EACH STATOR SECTION; A FRONT PLATE; MEANS MOUNTING SAID STATOR SECTIONS IN SPACED RELATION EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM AND PARALLEL WITH SAID FRONT PLATE; A ROTOR SHAFT HAVING ONE END ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRONT PLATE, SAID SHAFT EXTENDING REARWARDLY THEREFROM IN ENGAGEMENT AT SPACED POINTS ALONG ITS LENGTH WITH EACH OF SAID ROTORS, ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT TURNING EACH OF SAID ROTORS, SAID SHAFT HAVING A PLURALITY OF WEAKENED BREAK-AWAY PORTIONS, ONE FOR EACH OF SAID ROTOR SECTIONS; AND A DETENT MECHANISM CONNECTING SAID SHAFT AND FRONT PLATE. 